https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/china-launches-pinglu-canal-slashing-transit-time-to-southeast-asiaContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/china-launches-pinglu-canal-slashing-transit-time-to-southeast-asiahttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/china-launches-pinglu-canal-slashing-transit-time-to-southeast-asia#u72285Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:25:53 +0000China has officially opened the 134.2-km Pinglu Canal, creating a direct shipping gateway from Nanning to the Beibu Gulf and Vietnam. The project provides landlocked southwest provinces with a shortcut to overseas markets, specifically those within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). By allowing inland cargo to reach the Gulf of Tonkin, the canal removes a 560km detour, reducing transit times and deepening trade ties between China and its southern neighbors.Why it mattersThis is the first canal of its kind constructed in China since 1949. Initial surveys for the project date ba